Proceeds from the event were donated the the Sisters of St. Joseph, Suit Up Springfield and the Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association of America.

SPRINGFIELD - Hampden Sheriff Michael Ashe held his 39th and final clambake this week, attracting a giant cast of politicians, including candidates who hope to become his successor.

Ashe, who is retiring after 42 years in the position, has traditionally held the clambake as a campaign fundraiser. This year proceeds from the $50 tickets were donated to the Sisters of St. Joseph, Suit Up Springfield and the Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association of America.

The must-attend event, held at the Springfield Elks Lodge, attracted more than 1,000 people including a wide variety of politicians including Gov. Charlie Baker and most of the area mayors and state legislators.

While at the event, Ashe reflected on his career explaining that his focus has always been on community corrections and preparing inmates to return to society with skills that will make them productive citizens.

Here are some of the things people were Tweeting about the clambake.

More than 400 riders participated in the 10th annual Melha Riders Hospital Run.

SPRINGFIELD — Ten years ago Mike Santos was looking for a way to raise money for Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield. Hoping to combine his love of motorcycles and his support of the hospital Santos founded the Melha Riders Hospital Run.

"We have about 400 riders and about 500-600 people participating," said Santos, chairman of the ride and past president of the Melha Riders.

On Sunday the motorcycles lined up at the Melha Shrine Center, 133 Longhill St. to begin their annual journey through Western Massachusetts raising funds and awareness for the hospital.

All of the proceeds this year are going to help fund the EOS program - a low dose radiation system that drastically reduces x-ray exposure to the children and provides vastly improved, high quality test results.

"This one group over ten years has raised a significant amount of money and with 100 percent of the funds going to Shriners Hospital in Springfield all of the money will stay local," said Brian Connor, the current potentate of the Melha Shriners. "We treat anyone regardless of their ability to pay and these events are what make that possible."

Santos said the hospital run has raised $186,000 in the past nine years.

"This year will put us over $200,000," he said. "The reason we do this is for the children. This is who we are. The Melha Riders is a group within the Shriners that love to ride. We get a huge turnout because it's a brotherhood and we like to support each others causes."

Major sponsors of the event include CJ's Towing Hayman Law, Millennium Power and the Governors America Corporation.

Local police departments including the Chicopee Police and University of Massachusetts Police donate their time to ensure the safety of all the riders along the route, Santos said.

"We get a lot of corporate and local support," he said.

Juan Solo is the president of the Universal Riders in New Britain, Connecticut. He has been participating in the ride for six years.

" We do this because it has to do with children and it has to do with families and that's what we are all about. We are very family-oriented," Solo said.

The event included a raffle as well as lunch at the Shortstop Bar & Grill in Westfield at the end of the ride which made its way through the Pioneer Valley.

People can save money if they purchase tickets in advance.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - Big E officials are announcing ways to save on tickets for the Eastern States Exposition fair this year.

The fair, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, will run from Sept. 16 through Oct. 2. The regular daily admission price is $15 for adults and $10 for children ages 6 to 12. Children 5 and younger are free.

People can buy tickets in advance at a cost of $12 for adults and $8 for children. Advanced tickets are available through Sept. 14 online on the Big E website, or at the Big E Box Office. Big Y supermarkets will also sell the discounted tickets from Aug. 25 through Sept. 14. The tickets are good for any one day of the fair.

The Magic Midway Pass can also be purchased in advance for $23, but can only be used Monday through Friday. The usual price of the pass is $28.

Those who plan to visit the fair multiple days can purchase the Value Pass for $40 for adults and $20 for children. The pass will give the holder unlimited entry for all 17 days of the fair. Value Passes are available online and at the Big E Box office from Aug. 25 through Oct. 2. People can also buy them at the gate any day of the fair.

The Big E will cut the cost of all adult tickets to $10 for opening day. Sept. 16 is also military appreciation day and all active duty and retired personnel, dependents of active duty military and veterans with proper identification can enter for free.

For people interested in heading to the fair after work, the entry fee is $6 after 5 p.m. on Monday through Thursday.

Senior citizens, who are at least 60, can enter purchase tickets for $12, Monday through Thursday.

People can also visit the Big E website to find information about purchasing discount concert tickets.

Family Over Everything and Rise Above Auto Clubs collaborated on Sunday for their first annual Back to School Car and Bike Show on Sunday.

SPRINGFIELD-- Family Over Everything and Rise Above Auto Clubs collaborated on Sunday for their first Back to School Car and Bike Show on Sunday.

The show was held at Raymour & Flanigan on Boston Road and was sponsored by the Council Real Estate Group. Representatives from the auto groups presented Mayor Domenic Sarno with a commemorative plaque to show appreciation for his support of the city's youth.

"I'm honored to receive this award, but more importantly, I'm thankful for the FOE and RAAC's generous and caring efforts towards our Springfield youths," Sarno said. "Great to mix a cool car event with a good community cause."

The auto show expected over 200 participating cars and was free to spectators and featured music, raffles, food vendors, and activities for kids, including a bounce house.

Donations of school supplies were collected and donated to public schools in Springfield and Connecticut, where FOE and RAAC are based, respectively.

It could take investigators days to sort out the grisly murder scene in Citronelle, a small town 30 miles northwest of Mobile. Watch video

ATLANTA -- The suspect in the killing of five people at a home in Alabama attacked them while they slept and then abducted his estranged girlfriend and an infant -- both of whom were found alive, authorities said Sunday.

It could take investigators days to sort out the grisly murder scene in Citronelle, a small town 30 miles northwest of Mobile. Authorities said the dead included a pregnant woman and were found Saturday afternoon inside the home.

The crime was of a magnitude rarely if ever seen in this corner of rural, southern Alabama, Mobile County sheriff's Capt. Paul Burch said.

"It's unprecedented here," Burch told The Associated Press.

Earlier, Burch told reporters at the scene that investigators expect to be at the scene for a couple days. "It's obviously a horrific scene," he said.

Mobile County District Attorney Ashley Rich told reporters near the scene that in her 20-year career as a prosecutor, she's never encountered a crime "where there were five people who were brutally and viciously murdered, and that's what we have here."

She said "multiple weapons" were used.

Derrick Dearman, 27, of Leakesville, Mississippi, was taken into custody after he walked into the sheriff's office in Greene County, Mississippi, about 20 miles west of Citronelle, Burch said. Dearman was accompanied by his father when he showed up at the sheriff's department and surrendered Saturday afternoon, the Alabama sheriff's office said in a statement.

Dearman has confessed to the crimes, Burch told the news site Al.com.

"He's been cooperative," Burch told the AP on Sunday.

Who is Derrick Dearman? Citronelle quintuple murder suspect identified, in custody

Dearman will be charged with six counts of capital murder, Mobile County sheriff's spokeswoman Lori Myles said Sunday. Five counts stem from the killing of the adults, and the additional count is because one of the slaying victims, 22-year-old Chelsea Marie Reed, was 5 months pregnant, Myles said.

The other four killed were identified by sheriff's officials as Shannon Melissa Randall, 35; Justin Kaleb Reed, 23; Joseph Adam Turner, 26; and Robert Lee Brown, also 26.

Prosecutors have already begun the process of trying to extradite Dearman from Mississippi to Alabama, Burch said on Sunday. The sheriff of Greene County, Stanley McLeod, could not be reached for comment Sunday.

Though connections between Dearman and the five people killed were not immediately clear, investigators have determined that his ex-girlfriend, Laneta Lester, had gone to the home on Aug. 19 to get away from an abusive relationship with Dearman, the sheriff's office said in a statement. Lester was staying with a relative there.

Around 1 a.m. Saturday, someone inside the residence called 911 and reported that Dearman was on the property, the statement said. Citronelle police came to the house, but Dearman had left before the officers arrived, sheriff's officials said.

Later, sometime between 1:15 a.m. and daylight Saturday, Dearman returned to the home and attacked the victims while they were sleeping, the statement said. After the killings, Dearman forced Lester and the 3-month-old infant -- the child of the one of the murder victims -- into a vehicle at the residence. The three drove to the Mississippi home of Dearman's father.

After they arrived there, Dearman released Lester and the infant and then turned himself in at the Mississippi sheriff's department, Burch said.

Dearman has some criminal history, including an active warrant for a burglary charge, Burch said.

'Horrific' Citronelle murders of 5 may take days to decipher, authorities say

The killings happened about 150 miles southwest of Rutledge, Alabama, another town in the southern part of the state where six family members were found shot to death at their rural home on Aug. 26, 2002.

In that case, Westley Devon Harris was given a death sentence after being convicted of slaughtering his girlfriend's relatives. Prosecutors said he was angry because he thought they were trying to keep him away from her.

After the killings, he fled with his girlfriend and child. The girlfriend, who was 16 at the time, ended up testifying against Harris.

With the state's primary election just weeks away, the League of Women Voters will host a "Candidating 2016" event Monday, Aug. 29, in an effort to introduce Springfield-area voters to those running for Hampden County sheriff and the Governor's Council.

This post has been updated to clarify that the event will take place Monday, Aug. 29.

Unlike traditional debates and forums, Candidating 2016 aims "to put voters up close and personal with the candidates and the issues," said Linda Matys O'Connell, lead organizer for the voter-education group.

The event -- a twist on speed-dating -- will include "lightening-fast lessons" on the responsibilities, duties and importance of county sheriffs and governor's councilors and opening remarks from candidates vying for the positions, according to the league.

Once the "candidating" begins, moderators located at each table will help jump-start conversations between voters and candidates. Voters may also informally revisit candidates after the speed-dating portion of the event, the group said.

Stressing that lack of reliable information is a deterrent for voting, O'Connell contended that the event seeks to help voters sort out all of the candidates, as well as the offices for which they are running.

"Candidating 2016 will allow small groups of voters to have more personalized and in-depth discussion as the candidates rotate from table to table on cue," she said. "Often out of sight until election time, county sheriffs and governor's councilors play a major role in shaping the justice landscape and the quality of life in our communities."

The event, co-hosted by Western Massachusetts Neighbor to Neighbor, Voices from Inside and the Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts, will take place at Springfield's Trinity United Methodist Church, 361 Sumner Ave. Doors will open at 5:15 p.m., with the program beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Hampden County sheriff candidates, including Democrats Michael Albano, Tom Ashe and Nick Cocchi, Republican John Comerford and independent James Gill, are slated to participate in the event.

Jeff Morneau and Mary Hurley, Democrats running for the Governor's Council 8th District seat -- which is currently held by Albano -- are also scheduled to attend.

Local voters will weigh in on the races in the state's primary election on Thursday, Sept. 8. Winners in the Democratic and Republican contests will appear on the November general election ballot.

The shooting on Marion Street left two people with minor injuries to the lower extremities, according to Springfield Police Lt. Scott Richard.

SPRINGFIELD - Two people were shot in the city's McKnight neighborhood on Sunday night.

The shooting on Marion Street left two people with minor injuries to the lower extremities, according to Springfield Police Lt. Scott Richard.

It was reported at around 7:30 p.m.

No further details were immediately available.

This is a developing story. Stay with The Republican/MassLive for more information as it becomes available.

A male and female were injured when they were shot near a home on Marion St., Sunday evening. The male suffered a gunshot wound to the wrist, while the female victim was struck by a bullet in the ankle. Police are investigating the incident.

SPRINGFIELD— Two people were wounded Sunday night when they were shot in front of a Marion Street residence at approximately 7:11 p.m.

Springfield Police Lt. Scott Richard said the two were outside a home near 173 Marion St., when several gunshots were heard. The male was struck by a bullet in the wrist, while the female victim was hit by a bullet in the ankle.

Both were transported to the Baystate Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening wounds.

Richard said the shots may have come from a dark-colored sedan seen in the area at about the time of the shooting, but investigators are still not sure.

A home on Marion Street sustained ballistic damage to the exterior siding, but no one in the house was injured.

Richard said the department's Detective Bureau is at the scene continuing their investigation.

Amherst residents can no longer water lawns, fill pools or wash vehicles as mandatory water restrictions are now in place until further notice.

AMHERST -- Amherst residents can no longer water lawns, fill pools or wash vehicles as mandatory water restrictions are now in place.

The restrictions will stay in place until further notice.

Officials imposed voluntary restrictions July 26 that allowed for lawn watering every other day. The new restrictions went into place on Friday.  

Officials are also also asking residents to conserve water through measures such as taking briefer showers and turning the tap off while brushing teeth or washing dishes.

"This is an urgent situation -- water conservation steps taken now will preserve water supplies in coming months should drought conditions continue," a town press release stated.

Town officials have been working with the University of Massachusetts, Amherst College and Hampshire College to reduce overall water consumption, according to the release.

"I'm asking all residents to work together to help the community thorough this difficult period,"  Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek stated in the release. "We all need to do as much as we can to conserve water now, so we have adequate supplies in September and October."

According to the release, the restrictions are the "result of a continued period of low precipitation and recent downgrade of the Connecticut River Region from drought advisory to drought watch status by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs."

The City of Bright Nights Ball will channel the roaring twenties and pay homage to The Great Gatsby at the annual event, November 12, 2016. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD — Time to dust off the Model T and break out the flapper outfits. The annual City of Bright Nights Ball will be The Great Gatsby Gala this year and organizers were thrilled to show-off the theme and decor for the event during an announcement at the Springfield Sheraton Monday afternoon.

The gala is the largest annual fundraiser for the Spirit of Springfield, with a goal of raising $50,000. Scheduled for November 12 at the Springfield Sheraton, organizers introduced PeoplesBank President and CEO Thomas Senecal as the Chairman of the event.

"These days, it seems as if there is so much optimism about both the City of Springfield, and the Spirit of Springfield," said Senecal. "The City itself is continuing its remarkable resurgence, from casino construction and professional hockey to innovation districts and transportation centers, and the Spirit of Springfield is right there, every step of the way, growing and celebrating our civic pride through events such as Bright Nights at Forest Park, Star Spangled Springfield, and many others. We're happy to lend our name and support to the group's effort."

Tickets are $500 per couple and include a gourmet dinner, dancing and socializing in an elegant themed atmosphere.

Check out photos from last year's City of Bright Nights ball at the link below.

Gov. Charlie Baker also announced a new partnership among the state's teaching programs for nurses and physicians assistants to teach medical practitioners about safe prescribing strategies for prescription drugs.

Massachusetts state government rolled out a new version of its prescription monitoring program on Monday, which will be easier for doctors to use and will allow data sharing between states.

Gov. Charlie Baker also on Monday announced a new partnership among the state's teaching programs for nurses and physician assistants and with community health centers to teach medical practitioners about safe prescribing strategies for prescription drugs.

"I do believe at this point we are way ahead of where the vast majority of other states are with respect to creating this kind of collaboration, this relationship around core competencies and core curriculum around opioid therapy and addiction management," Baker said.

The new prescription monitoring program is a revamped version of an old program, with easier-to-use technology. State officials say the old version was difficult for doctors to use, so few doctors used it.

The prescription monitoring program collects information on when a patient is prescribed a drug that has the potential for abuse or addiction -- such as narcotics, stimulants and sedatives. The program allows a doctor to log on and see a patient's prescribing history, in order to avoid over-prescribing. The data is used to determine prescribing trends and to provide information to regulatory and law enforcement agencies when necessary.

New rules go into effect Oct. 15 that require doctors to check the prescription monitoring program any time they prescribe a Schedule II or III drug, which are the most addictive classes of opioids. Until now, doctors only had to check the database the first time they prescribed a Schedule II or III drug to a patient.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders said the state has seen "an uptick every day" in doctors signing up for the program. On Aug. 12, there were 16,100 prescribers registered to use the site. On Aug. 22, there were 31,909.

According to Sudders, 63 percent of prescribers who have prescribed an opioid in the last six months are now registered with the prescription monitoring program.

"The reality is many prescribers will probably not register until they need to write a prescription," Sudders said.

The new program lets doctors in Massachusetts access data from other states -- by the end of the month, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York, with other states expected to join later. For the first time, the system syncs with electronic medical records, and it allows doctors to designate delegates to use the system on their behalf.

State officials say it should take just three to five minutes for a doctor to register with the system, and uploading the data takes just seconds. "It's an efficient, quick system that can be incorporated into electronic health records systems within hospitals and clinics and has this interstate interoperability as well," said Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel.

Bharel said doctors already receive emails when a patient shows concerning behavior, and this will continue in a more efficient way. The data will also be easier to aggregate into reports, so that a doctor can find out how their prescribing practices match up against those of other doctors. Bharel said the state will make that information available to doctors to incorporate into their clinical practice.

Bharel said it is "too early to say" if the information will be used to help enforcement agencies target physicians who are dispensing medicine improperly.

Massachusetts has spent $6 million on the technology upgrades, according to the Massachusetts Medical Society.

"Substantial resources have been invested to improve the system, to make it easier for physicians to use and to access more information more quickly," said James Gessner, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society. "It is now incumbent on physicians and all prescribers to participate."

Separately, the new initiative involving the state's nine physician assistant programs and 16 nursing schools mirrors what the Baker administration already did with Massachusetts' medical and dental schools. The state brings together the schools to develop a set of core principles around opioid prescribing practices, which are then incorporated into their curriculum.

For the nurses, for example, the curriculum will include instructions about screening for, preventing and treating drug addiction. Nurses will be taught how to evaluate a patient's pain and risk for substance abuse and how to identify and provide information to patients about both opioid and non-opioid treatments for pain. They will be taught to recognize symptoms of substance abuse and refer patients to specialists, to use the anti-overdose drug naloxone and to develop effective ways to treat patients for substance abuse without stigma.

"It really is important to train our new practitioners, whether it's in Amherst, Boston, Springfield or all across the state," said Stephen Cavanagh, dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. "It really is a major problem you have to deal with, and certainly training the next generation of both teachers and practitioners is essential."

James Hunt, president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, said the state's 50 community health centers will also incorporate the new standards into an 18-month curriculum being launched this September to teach current doctors and nurses at the health clinics better prescribing practices.

The most recent data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health indicates that although the number of opioids prescribed in Massachusetts is dropping, the number of drug overdose deaths continues to rise. This is due in large part to the growing use of fentanyl, a type of painkiller used in surgery that is increasingly sold on the streets and being mixed with heroin and cocaine -- which can be lethal.

The Massachusetts Legislature last year passed a law making fentanyl trafficking a felony, but Baker said "there's a lot of work that could be and should be done" by law enforcement in Massachusetts and across state lines to prevent fentanyl trafficking.

Just 213 teachers nationwide were selected for the award, according to the White House.

Two elementary school teachers in Williamsburg and a high school science teacher from Springfield were among some 200 teachers nationwide selected as recipients of the 2016 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the White House announced Monday.

Science teacher John Heffernan and math teacher Karen Schweitzer of the Anne T. Dunphy School in Williamsburg were selected in the kindergarten through grade 6 category, while high school science teacher Keith Wright was chosen in the grade 7 through 12 category. Wright had been at the Springfield Renaissance High School for nine years, but will begin as a chemistry teacher at Hampshire Regional High School in Westhampton this fall.

In all, 213 teachers were selected for the honor, representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and the Department of Defense schools for the children of U.S. servicemen and women stationed at military bases.

Just four teachers were selected from Massachusetts. Neil Plotnick, a math teacher at Everett High School, was the fourth.

All recipients are invited to the an awards ceremony Sept. 8 in Washington, D.C.

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching are awarded annually to outstanding math and science teachers in grades K-12. Recipients are selected by a panel of scientists, mathematicians and educators.

Recipients each receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation.

In a statement issued by the White House, President Barack Obama said teachers selected to receive the award are among the best at seeing that their students possess the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills that will aid the country in the future.

"As the United States continues to lead the way in the innovation that is shaping our future, these excellent teachers are preparing students from all corners of the country with the science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills that help keep us on the cutting edge," the statement reads.

Schweitzer has been a teacher for 34 years, including the last 26 at the Dunphy School in Williamsburg. According to the White House commendation, in Schweitzer's classroom, "all students can become mathematical thinkers. Her activities invite students to explore concepts, create solutions and work collaboratively. (Schwietzer) believes even the youngest minds can engage with big mathematical ideas."

Heffernan has been the pre-K through grade 6 technology teacher at the Dunphy School since 2003. He previously taught third grade in Amherst for seven years. He turned to teaching in 1992 after earning his bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering and working for 10 years as a software engineer. The change in careers came about after realizing he liked connecting with children, he said.

He said he sees his life's work to be getting elementary school children fascinated with science and engineering.

"When you look at kids, they are natural-born engineers. They're always playing with blocks and digging," he said.

At the elementary school level, that hands-on engineering instinct is drummed out of them by a curriculum that makes them sit at desks all day and read from textbooks. "And then they get to high school and we say, 'Why don't you want to be an engineer?'"

Wright taught 11th grade chemistry and middle school science at Springfield Renaissance School for six years before moving to Hampshire Regional High School this fall.

According to the White House commendation, "Renaissance is an Expeditionary Learning School in an urban district where students complete a rigorous academic and extracurricular program emphasizing real-world learning, individual responsibility, and preparation for higher education opportunities. ... (Wright) and other teachers provide opportunities for students to build on their interests and develop new knowledge through real-world fieldwork experiences."

Two local hair cutting and styling shops in Springfield are giving free cuts to students during a one-day "back to school" event.

SPRINGFIELD -- Resident LaMar Cook and two local businesses are co-hosting the second annual "Back to School Brighter" event on Wednesday featuring free haircuts and hair styling for local students.

The event is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and also features free backpacks with school supplies and refreshments.

Cook will be joined in hosting the event by The Final Touch Barber Shop owner Clarence Smith, located at 817 State St., and The Hair Connection, located at 1142 State St.

Students ranging from pre-kindergarten through 16 years of age who are returning to school will be able to receive a free hair cut or hair style at either of the two sponsoring locations, according to an announcement.

"Being ready for the first day of school sets the tone for the remainder of the school year," Cook said.

In addition to the free hair styles, students will receive backpacks filled with books and school supplies donated by Sodexo and refreshments. Other local sponsors for this community event include Larry Bass Honda, P3 Enterprises, Union Auto Sales, and K&M Enterprises.

The event welcomes other community businesses that would like to sponsor the event to contact LaMar Cook by email at lamardcook@gmail.com.

Dayquan Little of Springfield admits to home invasion, co-defendant Dameian White to go to trial.

SPRINGFIELD -- Assistant District Attorney Mary A. Sandstrom asked Hampden Superior Court Judge Edward J. McDonough Monday to sentence a 21-year-old Springfield man to 20 years in state prison for home invasion.

She said the April 19, 2015, Chicopee home invasion to which Dayquan Little had just admitted was "severe enough and disturbing enough" to warrant her recommendation.

McDonough said he agreed with Sandstrom about the severity of the crime, but not about her sentence recommendation for Little, who had no criminal record. He sentenced the defendant to 21/2 years in the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow followed by three years probation.

Defense lawyer Marissa L. Elkins had asked for a suspended 21/2-year sentence to the Ludlow facility with three years probation.

Although there is a 20-year minimum mandatory state prison sentence under state law for home invasion, the law also allows for judges to give probation rather than imprisonment for the crime.

Elkins noted that if Little is found in violation of the probation given on the home invasion charge, he could be subject to the 20-year minimum mandatory sentence.

Little pleaded guilty to home invasion, armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and larceny of a motor vehicle.

His co-defendant, Dameian White, of Springfield, has opted for a jury trial, with jury selection scheduled for Tuesday.

Little's guilty plea was "unagreed," meaning that prosecution and defense did not agree on a sentence recommendation. If the prosecution agrees that a defendant can offer an unagreed plea, the judge hears disparate sentencing arguments.

Although unagreed pleas are commonplace, there are very few instances where the prosecution and defense recommendations are as far apart as they were with Little.

Sandstrom said White and Little entered a Grape Street home at about 3 a.m. The victim knew the two men, having seen them perform rap and having been friends with them on Facebook.

She said White had a gun, but Little was laughing and egging White on. White asked for $2,000 and then hit the victim in the left side of the face with a gun, she said. White, with Little, had the victim go upstairs and pointed a gun to his head. White hit the victim again on the forehead with the butt of the gun.

Sandstrom said White pulled the hammer back on the gun and said if the victim didn't get money they would see him again and "pop him." White got the car keys from the victim and White and Little drove away in the victim's car.

Throughout the incident, the victim's mother was home, asleep in her room for most of the time, Sandstrom said.

Sandstrom read an impact statement from the victim, saying he was afraid for his life and his mother's life. He said he is now stressed when he leaves his mother home while he works.

He is afraid of retaliation from Little and White, who have been free while awaiting trial, Sandstrom said. "He's never going to get that sense of security back," Sandstrom said of the victim.

As conditions of probation, Little must stay away from the victim and his mother, as well as their home.

McDonough said he realized Little was "not the primary actor" in the joint venture crime.

But, he said, "it was a lot more than being along for the ride."

Under the new all electronic tolling system set to go live on Oct. 28, transportation officials will be able to "hot list" a vehicle in an emergency situation. Who will get access to that information and under what circumstances?

This story is part of ongoing MassLive coverage into the state's October 2016 launch of all-electronic tolling on the Mass. Pike and the elimination of toll plazas.

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BOSTON - Under the new all electronic tolling system set to go live on Oct. 28, transportation officials will be able to "hot list" a vehicle in an emergency situation.

Who will get access to that information and under what circumstances? The Massachusetts Department of Transportation and other government officials will be working that out in the coming months.

According to Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack, the "hot list" would work this way: The Massachusetts Department of Transportation would get specific request from the state's Executive Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security.

A MassDOT employee would then enter the information about the license plate, and if the license plate was found by a gantry, they would send that information back to the public safety office, Pollack said.

The total number of people who would have access to that data would be "limited," she said.

"What we're doing now is we've formed a working group with some folks from the Executive Office of Public Safety to understand what the kinds of time-sensitive public safety emergencies might be," Pollack told reporters on Monday.

An Amber Alert, the well-known child abduction notification system, is one example, but "there could be others," she added.

"Once we've made that decision, we're going to write some regulations so everyone is clear on what we will and won't do with that 'hot list,'" Pollack said.

The tolling system will not be used to catch speeders, according to Massachusetts Department of Transportation. "The camera's there so we can collect tolls," Pollack said.

Under state and federal laws, MassDOT has to commit to privacy for motorists. "We will keep it secure and we will keep it confidential," Pollack said of the data.

A contract for the cashless system and the metal gantries that are gathering the information included the "hot list" function. Raytheon won the $130 million contract in 2014.

Transportation officials are also dealing with how long to hold on to the data gathered by the electronic tolling system. Pollack said they don't want to keep it longer than they need to.

They're working on a proposed policy and plan to submit the proposal to a state board that focuses on records retention by the board's Oct. 8 meeting.

A man has lined his neighbor's driveway with portable toilets, and the board said that's OK.

WILLIAMSBURG -- A man who placed two portable toilets along a retired physician's driveway as "decorations" may keep them there, the Board of Health unanimously ruled Monday after health agent Valerie Bird asserted that a "porta-potty" is not a "privy" under state law, and therefore exempt from town regulation.

It's the latest chapter in a history of conflict between Chris Duval of 15-17 Hyde Hill Road and local residents, including Dr. Henrietta Wallace, his closest neighbor. Several months ago, Duval placed the toilets and a Donald Trump statue along Wallace's driveway, which crosses his property via an easement.

"This is not a privy," Bird said at Monday afternoon's meeting. "It is a sani-can or chemical toilet ... you see them at construction sites ... we have no bylaw, and nobody regulates chemical toilets." A privy is the same thing as an outhouse, said Bird.

Resident Jennifer Dohrman noted that Bird was using a different legal analysis than she had before. Bird had previously said the structures are exempt from oversight because they are "decorations" and not functioning toilets.

The meeting was a "do-over" because an Aug. 5 meeting was posted without an agenda, a violation of the state Open Meeting Law, board chairwoman Donna Gibson previously admitted. Despite that fact, Gibson on Monday repeatedly limited public comment to "new information."

Board of Health rules porta-potties are 'decorations' and not illegal toilets

"We have all the information we need," Gibson said, as several residents raised their hands to take issue with Bird's latest interpretation of the law.

Resident Keith Harmon Snow, who has long been at odds with Duval over various issues, told the board they were being inconsistent. "You had no problem regulating chemical toilets when they were on my property," he said.

Robert Parker, a resident and employee of Duval's, said that Snow's prior outdoor toilet at 84 Goshen Road was an outhouse, and not a chemical toilet. "It was a permanent structure with a pit in the ground," Parker said. Parker noted that Snow has long had a dead farm vehicle parked near Route 9 painted as a "decoration," which has not been regulated as an abandoned car.

Duval raised his voice to lash out at Wallace and Snow. "They have invited the press to our house to smear our name. I am sick of it."

Wallace's attorney, Alan Seewald, was not present at Monday's meeting and was reportedly on vacation. "Seewald is a G-D coward ... he didn't show up because he knew he was going to lose," Duval told reporters as he and his wife pulled from the Town Hall parking lot in their SUV.

Duval previously told a reporter that he has problems with his "politically correct" neighbors. He is the man who prominently displayed Confederate flags at his property in the wake of the 2015 Charleston church shooting.

Confederate flag flies in Mass.: Williamsburg workplace display prompts backlash

Wallace last year initiated legal action against Duval, and gained an out-of-court settlement where Duval and his employees agreed to stop shooting semi-automatic weapons from the back of his Hyde Hill Road property.

Wallace and Snow were also active in efforts that led to Duval having to move his business, CRD Metalworks. After the Zoning Board of Appeals last year declined to give Duval a retroactive special permit due to multiple code violations, Duval shut down his production shop at Hyde Hill Road and moved it to Northampton.

In a related matter, Duval and Parker have been outspoken supporters of the Hodgkins family in their efforts to maintain the use of a wooded property at 74 Village Hill Road as an outdoor shooting area. The zoning board last year limited the use of that land after a lengthy battle with neighbors, led by Snow, over the use of semi-automatic and other weapons at the site.

As for the porta-potties, Wallace said Monday she would consult with her lawyer but was not at liberty to discuss any possible legal strategy.

According to Department of Environmental Protection regulations, a "privy" is defined as "a structure used for the disposal of human wastes without water transport consisting of a shelter built over an unlined pit or vault in the ground into which waste is deposited."

The state law further says "no privy or chemical toilet shall be constructed or continued in use; provided that the board of health may approve in writing the construction or continued use of any privy or chemical toilet which it determines will not (a) endanger the health of any person; or (b) cause objectionable odors or other undue annoyance."

CRD Metalworks defies Williamsburg shutdown order, will pay fines of $100 a day

State Rep. Ellen Story, D-Amherst, is not seeking re-election. The primary is Sept. 8.

AMHERST -- Bonnie MacCracken, one of six Democrats running for the 3rd Hampshire District seat in the state House of Representatives, recently received two endorsements.

Bonnie MacCracken 

The Amherst Firefighters Local 1764 and Mass Voters for Animals, an animal protection political action committee, both announced their support for her.

In a press release, MacCracken, a Democratic State Committee member, said she was proud to be the only candidate endorsed by organized labor.

"As State Representative I will do more to bring funding back to the 3rd Hampshire District for our brave men and women who serve in public safety," she said in the statement.

Marge Peppercorn, of Mass Voters for Animals, sent MacCracken an email informing her of their support. "We are endorsing your candidacy in the upcoming elections since we feel that you stand out as a person who truly cares about animal welfare and someone who would be a strong state house advocate for animal protection and the prevention of cruelty," the email stated.

Others seeking the seat are Belchertown High School teacher Lawrence O'Brien, Amherst School Committee member Vira Douangmany Cage, recent Brown University graduate Solomon Goldstein-Rose, Amherst Businesses Improvement District Director Sarah la Cour and former Massachusetts Broadband Institute Director Eric Nakajima.

State Rep. Ellen Story, D-Amherst, is not seeking re-election. The primary is Sept. 8. 

The goal with early voting is to make it as easy as possible for voters to cast ballots and participate in the election process, with Holyoke early voting times set for Oct. 24 to Nov. 4 at City Hall auditorium and on two occasions at the Senior Center.

HOLYOKE -- Early voting will be available here in the City Hall auditorium and on two occasions at the Senior Center from Oct. 24 to Nov. 4 for Election Day Nov. 8, which will feature the presidential election and statewide ballot questions.

This will be the first time early voting is offered in Holyoke and other cities and towns in Massachusetts under a law established in 2014 by former Gov. Deval L. Patrick.

Voting by mail during the early-voting period of Oct. 24 to Nov. 4 also is permitted.

On Election Day, American voters will choose a president from among Republican Donald Trump, Democrat Hillary Clinton and minor party candidates.

Massachusetts voters that day also will decide ballot questions on:

The goal of early voting is to increase participation in the election process by making voting as easy as possible, but it's not hard to see complications arising with the new procedures.

City and town clerks must make arrangements to have facilities available where voters can go to cast early ballots and with morning, afternoon and early evening times available.

Those ballots then must be kept in an envelope that bears an affidavit from the voter confirming his or her identity. Such early voting ballots will be kept in a safe until Election Day, when city clerk staff will enter those ballots into voting machines of each voters' ward and precinct.

Early voting by mail will require that voters complete and return to the city clerk's office an application to vote that way, and such applications have yet to be provided by the state. City Clerk Brenna Murphy McGee said she will make the applications to vote early by mail available online when her office gets them.

The additional employee hours to staff the early voting periods, including on Sat. Oct. 29, and hiring of election officers will require a request to Mayor Alex B. Morse and the City Council for $4,000 to $5,000 in additional funds, she said.

Here are the early voting times and places in Holyoke:

While this will be the first time that early voting is permitted without requiring a reason to do so from voters, absentee ballots also will remain available, Murphy McGee said. Absentee ballots are provided to voters who want to vote but will be unable to do so on an election day because of travel or illness, for example.

For more information contact the Holyoke city clerk's office at 413-322-5520.

The community is invited to a back to school pig roast being held by Holyoke's Dean Technical High School on Tuesday, Aug. 23, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at Turn Hall, 624 South Bridge St.

HOLYOKE -- Welcome back to school will be the theme of a pig roast that Dean Technical High School will hold for the community Tuesday from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at Turn Hall, 624 South Bridge St., a press release said.

Pork, chicken, rice and beverages will be provided, with no alcohol permitted, the press release said.

Dean Tech at 1045 Main St. is the city's vocational school. The event is free, but donations will be accepted to help in paying for uniforms for shop students, the press release said.

The first day for public school students in grades 1 to 12 is Aug. 30.

Besides the food at the event at Turn Hall, the day will include music, horseshoes, basketball and a rock-climbing wall, the press release said.

The event is sponsored by Holyoke Community College, the U.S. Army and Nuestras Raices, a nonprofit organization that seeks to promote economic, human and community development.

For more information call 413-534-2071.

The victim was shot outside 17 Knox St. in the city's South End neighborhood.

SPRINGFIELD - A man who suffered a gunshot wound on Monday evening drove himself to Baystate Medical Center for treatment, police said.

Lt. Scott Richard said the victim was shot in the "lower extremity" outside 17 Knox St. in the city's South End neighborhood at around 6 p.m.

His injuries are not considered life-threatening.

No further details were immediately available.